Producer: Amba Software
Memory Required: 16K or 48K
Retail Price: unknown
Language: Machine code

As its name suggests, this is a compendium of three different arcade games on one cassette. The games are Snackman, Sub Track and Treasure Hunt.

Snackman is, quite obviously, a 'Pac Man' style game, which features 16 selectable mazes with 10 different playing speeds. Sub Track, provides you with the opportunity to lay depth charges from a surface ship, to attack numerous submarines at different depths, while they fire back with mines. In Treasure Hunt, a reasonably complicated maze is used in a very pure way - that is, you must find your way through it to collect valuable items. When one has been successfully picked up, another appears somewhere else in the maze, and all against the clock.

Side A of the cassette loads all three games into a 48K Spectrum, and each may be selected by pressing key 7. Each game comes complete with on-screen instructions. Side B of the tape will load each game individually into a 16K Spectrum.

COMMENTS

Control keys: indicated for each game, but all well placed
Joystick: none
Keyboard play: responsive
Colour reasonable
Sound: varied and reasonable
Skill levels: depends on game, but several

In Snackman, the graphics are all quite small, but they move well and this isn't a bad version. The Depthcharge Game is also reasonable and has quite large graphics. I didn't think so much of the Treasure Hunt, despite its 29 mazes and 144 game variations - which must be a record! All the games are reasonable, but none are original and none of them are brilliant. The idea of putting several games onto one cassette is a good one, especially when they are all 'old' games. I won't rate its value for money that highly because I would prefer one good game to three fair/average games.

Anyone wanting a reasonable 'Pac Man' and the chance of two other fair arcade games, will find the Triad cassette to be fair value. Overall, the graphics are quite good, but there isn't really anything here to thrill.

Producer: Amba, 16/48K (2)

This tape comprises three games of 'Snackman', 'Sub Track' and 'Treasure Hunt'. One side loads all three into 48K, the other loads individually into 16K. Snackman is a 'Pacman' with 10 playing speeds and 16 different mazes. Sub Track has you in a ship dropping depth charges on the many subs at different depths, while dodging their mines. In Treasure Hunt you must find the quicketst way round a fairly complex traditional maze to collect treasures. Once one has been collected another appears somewhere else - all against the clock. All 3 games are rather well done and the tape represents good value for money although there was a feeling that today one might prefer one really original game for the money than three old ones. Sensible control keys, no joystick option, reasonable sound, colour and small graphics, fair to average, overall CRASH rating 55% m/c.

GOOD AMBA TRIO

Triad is not an ancient oriental sect; it is a series of three games for the 48K Spectrum. The difference between this cassette and others of its kind is that all three games are included in one program and each of the games would sell separately if the manufacturer decided to do so.

The first game is as original in its title as it is addictive in its playability. It is called Snackman and, as you have probably guessed, you take the part of a little creature with a big mouth which cats its way around a maze while being pursued by a variety of ghosts.

The ghosts in Snackman are very intelligent and very fast. If you make one mistake you are dead.

The second game is Sub Track. We reviewed it last month as Amba Software has produced it separately so that 16K Spectrum owners can play it. It is a good ploy, as many people still have the 16K machine.

The third Triad game is a maze quest where you have to move a little man around the maze and pick up the treasure which has been strewn around the tunnels. The game is simple to play and is very addictive. There are various levels of maze and they range from the easy, with few obstacles in your way, to the complicated, with winding tunnels and invisible barriers.

Triad is priced at £9.50. It is available from Amba Software, Freepost, Cambridge CB3 7BR.